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Need Technical help - switch from Dish to DirecTv

After 2 years with Dish, im considering DirectTV. This thread is specific to the swap of equipment needed to support distribution of DirectTV in the same manner I have my dish.

Here's the deal.

I have 2 Dish receivers in my home (VIP722K DVR and VIP722K) and HDTVs connect to each via HDMI. The HD satellite dish outside has cabling which run into my basement (a homerun utility wall box). The VIP722K DVR connects to the homerun in my basement using 2 Triplexers (DB Plus) - one at the receiver upstairs and one in my basement. The other VIP722K also connects to the homerun in my basement using 2 diplexers (or separators) the same way - one right behind the VIP722K and one in the basement. Then in the basement the output from each of these splitters go to distribution boxes that send the SD signals to TVs throughout the house via coax. I use a 21.0 IR/UHF remote that can control the box from any room.

So my question is, if I go with DirectTV, I want to only use 1 HD DVR and 1HD box from DirectTV and distribute out the signal the exact same way I do with Dish - thus basically just swapping out receivers and using the splitters and distribution that exists. Id also need a UHF remote to drive either box from any room in the house, just like Dish.

Can directTV do this without any extra equipment? I dont want to have to pay for a receiver for every room. I also hope its just a simple plug and play using the triplexer/diplexer solution that exists.

I also need to know if I should specifically ask the installers for certain HD boxes or other if i order. I'd hate for a directTV guy to come out and he has the wrong equipment to connect to this configuration (ie wrong connectors on the back of the new receivers etc).

DirecTV won't use the triplexer or diplexer in any system. Assuming you get a SWM, which you probably should, you can use a single cable from the dish to the basement and a single splitter there. None of the HD receivers have a modulated output for SD distribution on channel 3/4 and the installer won't setup something like this. Running a second, sd tv off a dvr is pretty much unique to Dish. It is possible to use a modulator that takes a composite or svideo input to distribute your SD but you will not be able to watch things independently on the SD side. It will have to be the same thing that is being watched on that receiver/dvr. All the outputs are active on the receivers but they are all displaying the same thing.

If you somehow ended up with a non swm system, which you really shouldn't, it would require 2 cables run to the dvr and couldn't also be used to distribute the sd as they have to be a direct run from a multiswitch or the dish and can't have any splitters.

On the bright side the DVR should come with a RF remote but the receiver should be an IR only but will work with a RF one if you purchase it.

You might want to consider more receivers on a directv system. The monthly fees are a lot cheaper per month than cable or dish last time I compared.

It's 5 per month per box of any type and only pay a single DVR fee and Whole Home DVR fee for the entire account no matter how many dvr's you have.

One further clarification - as I currently have it setup, the 2 boxes are distributed to 8 TVs total (6 for one and 2 for the DVR box). I dont need independent access to different programs on every TV. There is only 2 of us in this big house. Usually only 1 tv is on at a time - at most 2. Thats why having extra boxes is unnecessary. Just distribution of a single receiver signal or programs to all the TVs.

One further clarification - as I currently have it setup, the 2 boxes are distributed to 8 TVs total (6 for one and 2 for the DVR box). I dont need independent access to different programs on every TV. There is only 2 of us in this big house. Usually only 1 tv is on at a time - at most 2. Thats why having extra boxes is unnecessary. Just distribution of a single receiver signal or programs to all the TVs.

Not sure, but when I total out both providers apples to apples (features and channels), if I can drive the whole house using 2 receivers it saves me about 30% over 2 years given all the price promotions and includes NFL ticket. Only about 10% if i have to use separate boxes in every room. Thats why im considering this.

Not sure, but when I total out both providers apples to apples (features and channels), if I can drive the whole house using 2 receivers it saves me about 30% over 2 years given all the price promotions and includes NFL ticket. Only about 10% if i have to use separate boxes in every room. Thats why im considering this.

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Do those savings include the $10 a month for 10 months Refer a Friend credit? If you are an AAA member you can also save $10 a month for 20 months. Also, if you sign up through the Costco Direct TV website you can get a $180 gift card that you could either use or sell on Ebay or Craigslist.

After 2 years with Dish, im considering DirectTV. This thread is specific to the swap of equipment needed to support distribution of DirectTV in the same manner I have my dish.

Here's the deal.

I have 2 Dish receivers in my home (VIP722K DVR and VIP722K) and HDTVs connect to each via HDMI. The HD satellite dish outside has cabling which run into my basement (a homerun utility wall box). The VIP722K DVR connects to the homerun in my basement using 2 Triplexers (DB Plus) - one at the receiver upstairs and one in my basement. The other VIP722K also connects to the homerun in my basement using 2 diplexers (or separators) the same way - one right behind the VIP722K and one in the basement. Then in the basement the output from each of these splitters go to distribution boxes that send the SD signals to TVs throughout the house via coax. I use a 21.0 IR/UHF remote that can control the box from any room.

So my question is, if I go with DirectTV, I want to only use 1 HD DVR and 1HD box from DirectTV and distribute out the signal the exact same way I do with Dish - thus basically just swapping out receivers and using the splitters and distribution that exists. Id also need a UHF remote to drive either box from any room in the house, just like Dish.

Can directTV do this without any extra equipment? I dont want to have to pay for a receiver for every room. I also hope its just a simple plug and play using the triplexer/diplexer solution that exists.

I also need to know if I should specifically ask the installers for certain HD boxes or other if i order. I'd hate for a directTV guy to come out and he has the wrong equipment to connect to this configuration (ie wrong connectors on the back of the new receivers etc).

Thanks in advance for the Pros here who can answer this.

Click to expand...

While I don't have much experience with dish, I'm confused here. A ViP722K non-DVR?? Shouldn't both of your boxes be DVRs?

Also from the diagrams I've googled, shouldn't your setup be a triplexer behind each DVR and diplexers at each of the other ends in the basement?

Sorry the non DVR is SAT and Home Distribution (diplex). The DVR is SAT1, SAT2 and home distribution (triplex).

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No Dish expert here, but diplexing with DirecTV isn't really feasible. Non SWiM systems use the 250-750 MHz band.
DirecTV receivers don't have a modulator either.
If you can run separate coax, then you could redistribute your signals through a modulator.

Sorry the non DVR is SAT and Home Distribution (diplex). The DVR is SAT1, SAT2 and home distribution (triplex).

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Ok, getting a better understanding;

But just for my technical notes, I still don't understand how the triplexer in the basement mates with the DVR. In either case the installation diagrams I've found show a diplexer located at the dish side to separate the incoming satellite signals from the opposite traveling TV2 back feed.

That diagram looks like my setup. I dont have the home run box open so I assumed a triplexer there (but there may be a diplexer like the diagram). however the DVR box upstairs definitely has a triplexer attached to it and the non-DVR box downstairs (which is a 722K) definitely has a diplexer.

One further clarification - as I currently have it setup, the 2 boxes are distributed to 8 TVs total (6 for one and 2 for the DVR box)..

Click to expand...

To get 6 SD TVs running off a Directv receiver you would need a modulator hooked up through the composite (yellow) video output as well as the audio output. Then you run this signal to whatever splitter is currently supplying the signal to these TVs.

The only problem I can see you would run into is if the modulator is not strong enough (signal level wise) to compensate for the 6 or 8way splitter you have in your distribution box. You also dont want a commercial style modulator as it will be too strong, but you could just attenuate it.

The Dish receiver has the modulator built in and is agile so you can change what channel it outputs to suit your situation.

That diagram looks like my setup. I dont have the home run box open so I assumed a triplexer there (but there may be a diplexer like the diagram). however the DVR box upstairs definitely has a triplexer attached to it and the non-DVR box downstairs (which is a 722K) definitely has a diplexer.

Sorry for the confusion.

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Please press Menu twice on the "722k" and tell us real model.
So far you have been mistaken and confusing us.
Perhaps it is ViP222k.